"Is this really necessary?" Smoker grunted as him, Katya and Law dragged a huge tram between them down the corridor from buildings D to R.
"Yes, it's the tram they use to transport the SAD. Everyone can use it to ride out. The lab won't last much longer." Law replied. "We have to escape as quickly as we can."
Katya pulled the tram with them but the claw marks Monet had given her were beginning to deepen from the stress of moving her body around so much.
"Straw Hat!" Law called and Katya spotted him and a large group up ahead.
"Oi! Tra-guy, Katya, Smokey! There you are!"
"Everyone!" Katya suddenly screamed and ran forwards. The children gasped and rushed to greet her. She hugged the ones she could, including Jess. "Wait, where's Mocha?"
"She ate all the candies, onee-chan!" Jess cried.
"No..." Katya said in shock and Sind nodded with tears in his eyes.
"Everyone, get into the tram!" Law ordered and Katya helped the children climb in. The larger ones helped to lift the babies in and Katya lifted many of the younger ones who were exhausted. Jess was one of them, and the shy girl was shaking. Katya held onto her as Nami and the other children made sure everyone was inside the tram.
"Onee-chan, can you sing for us?" One of the older children whispered. "The others are scared."
Katya placed her hand on the young boy's arm who had asked and the other children crowded to her.
"There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard..." she sang softly. "No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart..."
Jess climbed up to sit in Kayta's lap. "Our dreams, and they are made out of real things, like a shoe box of photographs with sepia-toned loving..."
Jess smiled shyly at Katya and she stroked the girl's head comfortingly. "Love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart...Like why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it's so hard? It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving...but I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together..." she sang gently.
"Mm, it's always better when we're together..."
Katya saw Law looking up at her with an unreadable expression. She turned back to the children and gave them a group hug. The children were going to get out of there safely. Or she would die trying.
The matter of capturing Caesar was still pressing, but the building was coming down thanks to Law cutting the whole facility in half and that was definitely the more immediate threat. Chunks of rock were falling as Katya made her way over to Nami.
"Are you okay?" She asked the orange haired woman.
"Yes, I'm just anxious to get the kids out of here."
"Me too. They like you." Katya smiled. "And your personality...you remind me of Ikkaku. She's the only other woman on our crew."
"It's tough when there's only two women, right?" Nami sighed. "Trying to keep Luffy in line is hard enough, but those idiots are a nightmare to handle."
"You're not their mother."
"It feels like I am." Nami muttered.
"If we let Caesar escape, the entire plan will be ruined." Law's voice cut through the women's conversation.
"What are you talking about? We're not all here yet!" Luffy shouted from down on the ground. "Several of my nakama haven't arrived!"
"Mocha isn't here either!"
Katya made her way to Law and stood with him as they waited. The Captain of the Heart Pirates looked tired. Katya put her hand on his wrist and felt the heartbeat there, reminding herself that he was alive. They were both alive, and they were going to see their crew again.
"Why are they like this?" Law muttered.
"They fight for what they love." Katya said thoughtfully. "They fight for their friends and they fight to be free. They just happen to save people on the way."
Law looked across at the freckled woman with surprise at her insight into the Straw Hats. Even so, if they didn't leave soon...
"LUFFY!" A voice rang out as the doors were closing and Katya spotted Chopper and Brook. Mocha was being carried by a number of men and she appeared to be unconscious.
"Mocha!" The children shouted. Katya went to jump down to go to the young girl, but Law held her back.
"There's not enough time, we need to leave now!"
"This place is gonna blow! Everyone get on!" Luffy cheered and the group rushed to get on the tram.
"I didn't want the o-others eating the candy." Mocha coughed as the tram sped along. Katya and Chopper both sat with her. There were traces of blood splattered around the girl's mouth.
Katya felt tears come to her eyes. "Chopper-san, will she recover?"
"I'm doing my best." He replied gravely.
"Watch out!" The Heart Pirate cried as she felt a large chunk of debris about to fall with her above them observation Haki.
Whooosh!
The concrete was kicked out of the way by the blonde Straw Hat, Sanji.
"Are you alright, my lady?" He asked as Katya watched the concrete crash down onto the tunnel behind them.
"Yes, thank you." She replied with a smile.
"Any time!" Sanji swooned. "But I have to ask, how did you feel it coming down too?"
"Ah, I have good observation Haki. My armament Haki is terrible though, so I wouldn't have gotten to it in time. Thank you." Katya smiled warmly.
"SO BEAUTIFUL!" Sanji shouted with hearts in his eyes and grabbed hold of Katya's hands. Katya blushed slightly.
"Oi, Sanji!" Luffy said cheerfully. "Look!" He pointed to Law, who was glaring daggers at Sanji.
"What do you want, bastard?" Sanji growled at him.
"Get your hands away from her, or I will cut them off right now." Law's eyes narrowed and put his hands on his nodachi.
"It's okay, Law." Katya smiled at her Captain and let go of Sanji's hands. "Sanji-san was just being friendly!"
Law put his sword back on his shoulder but still glared at Sanji.
"What's his problem?" Sanji muttered and took a drag of his cigarette.
"Vergo made some threats against me earlier. I guess Law doesn't want anyone touching me that he distrusts."
"Katya, come sit at the front with us!" Luffy's arms stretched towards Katya and grabbed her by the torso, pulling her against the pirate.
"STRAW HAT!" Law gritted his teeth.
"Ow..." Katya untangled herself from Luffy.
Drip!
A single drop of blood fell to the ground. The trio of pirates glanced down. Katya's green coat had a small red stain spreading across it. The wounds from Monet...she'd ignored them all this time.
"I think-" Katya began, but then a humongous explosion rocked the entire island to the core as elsewhere in the facility, and caused the whole research building D to explode in a cloud of fire and gas.